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[GlobalistPotato]

Second post!
(I'm not sure if the lolita forum is the right place for this. This isn't a lolita outfit, but it does contain petticoats, which lolita girls are familiar with.)
Alright! So this summer I'm going with a bunch of friends to a big event up in Oklahoma. It's a multi-day rally at a college. On one of the days, there's an unofficial tradition where the guys dress up as girls. I haven't crossdressed yet but I am going to this year. Most guys usually wear women's casual clothes (like shirts and skirts), but I was going to do something more.
I was planning on wearing a 1950s style shirtwaist dress, with a full skirt and petticoats and all.
The outfit I'm gonna wear looks like this.
(White button-down shirt or blouse, black or otherwise dark circle circle skirt with a belt, and several petticoats)
But the skirt has a silhoutte like this.
I'll be wearing at least one petticoat with the skirt, but I'm probably gonna wear two or more, depending on the fullness, fabric, etc.

The petti I was aiming for would be made out of organdy (strong and poufy, from what I've heard), knee length, and probably around 60 yards of fabric. Shouldn't that be poufy enough?
The question I have is: How do I pack the petticoat without getting it crushed? And what will I do with the petticoat(s) at the event when I'm not wearing them?

So here's the skinny (for the poufy!):
The trip: ~10-12 hour trip in a van packed full of other teenagers. I'm thinking it's best to have the petticoats on top of everyone else's stuff so they don't get squished.
The place I'm staying: It's not a hotel: it's a college dorm. I'll be in the boys dorm, sharing a room with another dude. Small room, 2 beds, and a moderately sized closet that can be used to store clothes. Most people store their dirty clothes in there to dry them, but I'm thinking about using them to hang up the pettis.
The dorms have shared bathrooms with stalls and showers. So hanging a petticoat in there (to get rid of the wrinkles) wouldn't be a good idea. Especially with guys with sloshing around in there and making things wet. Eww.

Yeah. Thanks.

[UsakoLuna]

Pack the petti in a garment bag and leave it on top or put it in a plastic storage bin and leave that on top. when you get there hang it up immediately. I always hear it's best to hang them up side down, which is how I hang my petti. Bring a can of spray starch, and if it look flat blast it with that, while it's upside down

[GlobalistPotato]

Thanks. A garment bag does sound like a good idea.
How do you hang a petti upside down?
I could pack some spray starch in my toiletry bag.
ALSO, I forgot to mention this in the OP, but I'm pretty sure the guys in the dorms would be pretty understanding if they saw my pettis. Everyone knows about the cross-dressing day, so yeah.
It'd be funny if I showed them my outfit and they go "Well that beats what I'm gonna wear!".
"I make blood sacrifices to the loli-gods to keep my petti poofy." - some loli girl. LOL

[UsakoLuna]

I turn my petti inside out and use a skirt hanger. I clip it to the lining, it looks weird as anything hanging in my closet but it works.

[GlobalistPotato]

Interesting. I'll have to try that out when I get my petticoat. Is the lining at the hem or the top?
And when my petticoat is at home, should I hang it up like that or "normal style" (from the waistband)? Which way is better for keeping the petticoat's shape?

[glitter bomb]

I use plastic bins when transporting costumes, including a huge petticoat I have. it keeps things from getting crushed, while also keeping everything neat and easily accessible. Bags just make everything slide around, then items get further crushed or wrinkled while you're digging through trying to find something. Plus, you can use the bin as a little table later when laying out items or putting on makeup.

the plastic bins take up more room than a bag because they can't be smooshed into a corner. but that's the point: it keeps things from getting mangled and crammed when other people shove their luggage in with yours.

[GlobalistPotato]

How big are these plastic bins?
They can't be too large, because they wouldn't be able to fit in the back of the van. Trust me, we fill it to the MAX. Especially if someone brings along their instruments (which usually happens). I think we won't have too hard of a logistical problem this year, mainly because we'll have two vans instead of a van and a car.

[glitter bomb]

not huge, not like industrial bins. like the kind of thing you keep in a closet or under the bed. about the same size as a suitcase or good-sized duffle bag. but for big poofy things like a petticoat you may need 2: one for the petticoat and one for the rest of the costume and clothes.

[Eleksin]

You don't really have to worry about crushing an organdy petti. Those things are poof monsters and it's actually hard to make the poof go down. Going with what glitter bomb said, that might be a choice to look into. You can squish it flat in the box and when you remove it just fluff it out a bit and it will some back to life.

[glitter bomb]

Originally Posted by Eleksin

You don't really have to worry about crushing an organdy petti. Those things are poof monsters and it's actually hard to make the poof go down.

ooh! that's good to know, thanks! I have 2 that I've been babying because I didn't want them to get flattened. (my huge one mentioned above is made of tulle and some kind of poly material, that one is out of control big and crunchy.)

[GlobalistPotato]

So, yes, I am looking for a poof monster. XD
Like I've said, I don't have the petticoat yet, I may find out I only need one to achieve the desired fullness. Having just one petti would definitely make things simpler.
I was wondering how the petticoat should be put in the plastic bin. Should it be laying down and spread out like this (but without the cat XD), standing up, or laying on its side?
(BTW, the girl who posted those photos described her petti as a 'monster' as well)

[celticfreefall]

If it's organdy, you don't need to keep it in a bin separated as you would a tulle petticoat. You can pack it flat and squish it with no consequences. I just pack mine straight into my bag on the bottom (so it doesn't get zipped into the bag and damaged) then turn it inside out and lay it over the back of a chair to rest and refluff until I use it.

[Kunoichi Neko]

I am still really confused about the whole "hanging upside down" thing. How do I do that???

[GlobalistPotato]

Originally Posted by Kunoichi Neko

I am still really confused about the whole "hanging upside down" thing. How do I do that???

Well, you take a noose and...
Just kidding. I search this up, and apparently it goes like this.
As I thought. On to a shorts/skirt hanger. A clothesline could work too.
If I'm correct, it looks like the hanger is grabbing the petti by the hem of the inner layer.

Although from what I hear, hanging a petticoat like that only works if there's enough room. If it's being squished on the sides from other clothes, it will eventually lose it's poof. I've heard others say it's better to put a petticoat in a drawer or a bin so that it'll have more room.
Would this be a good way to store a petticoat? (The position, not the location ) I would imagine having the petticoat spread out like that would help keep it "uplifted", but it has to be done on a flat surface, like a drawer, bin, shelf, or floor.

[Kunoichi Neko]

My petti can't be hung like that. It is Candy Violets fluffy petti. Different style than that